Dark Impulses
by Raven Moonshadow
Summary: Dahlia is a rebellious 23 year old. She knows it's cliche. But what makes her different from every other angst-y 23 year old is that she is a newly immortal Halfling, away from home. When she gets caught by the humans she suddenly realizes that Insane-Lykae-Man-Beasts and Peeping Phan-Toms may not be so bad...Rated M for Lemons, Language, and Violence.
1. Chpt 1: Good 'Ol Humans

_**Hoboken, New Jersey**_

Dahlia pushed away the plate of fries in front of her for the 3rd time tonight and sighed. They smelled good and she remembered the wonderful salty, starchy taste of them from before she reached immortality. But she no longer had a desire for them. Why were they in front of her? Because of Rachel—The human with whom she had befriended, and the one who kept insisting they share food. Mainly because Rachel was scared of becoming "a whale that no man will touch."

Amusingly, Rachel was likely only 105 lbs sopping wet and could never attain such a status. Dahlia had reassured her at least 5 times tonight alone that she need not be worrying about eating too much. Under eating, now there was something to fret about and made her slightly envious.

Because, sometimes, Dahlia missed eating. She definitely missed coffee. And chocolate chip cookies from the bakery down the street from the Coven. Freezing into her immortality have had only that down side.

Yes, Dahlia couldn't eat.

Well, not couldn't. More like didn't need to.

A side effect of finally reaching said immortality as a member of the Lore.

Not that she would ever share this fact. Humans could never know Lore existed and Dahlia was alone, had no Lore friends (now or ever), and had left her Coven in New Zealand, in defiance, to settle in an unfamiliar city, free of despise she had known from her Aunts. And pretty much any Lorean who realized what half of her genetics was. She knew all of the Valkyrie and Furiae bitches back home were smugly waiting for her to return—to be downtrodden and beaten. To beg for forgiveness for walking out on their oh so wonderful coven.

But Dahlia the Defiant had done nothing wrong but be born half Valkyrie-Arch Furiae and half their most hated enemy. Vampire.

She couldn't change her parentage, much to the irrational expectancy of the Coven. Even in the Lore that would be impossible. Her mother was Verdandi the Vicious, an Arch Furiae-Valkyrie born from Megaera the Grudging (an Arch Furiae so famous there were ancient human epics spouting her deeds) and the lightening of Woden and Freya. Many tended to forget that Dahlia was part Valkyrie and to be fair, so did she. She had leaned more toward Arch Furiae as far as physically, with the exception of her pointed ears and one silver gray eye. But ger eyes never went silver and she didn't induce any lightning when feeling strong emotion. As far as the Coven was concerned she was more Vampire-Fury in tendency and treated her thus.

Even her own mother despised her, which had taken a long time for Dahlia to realize. As her name denoted, Verdandi was a cold-hearted bitch who had the misfortune of being captured some 20 years ago by the Horde. Long story short, shit went down, unspeakable things were done, food was forced, yadda yadda. In the end, her father, whoever the red-eyed bastard had been, had not expected that his lovely frigid prisoner would be rescued by her Coven so soon. And Verdandi had not expected to become pregnant with the abomination now known as Dahlia.

Dahlia the Undesired.

Dahlia the Abomination.

Dahlia the Flying Blood Sucker.

Despite her pedigree (she was the granddaughter of the Megaera, sister to Alecta and Tisiphone; you'd think that would earn her some respect!), she'd heard many names from her kin. None of them were affectionate.

Not that she should expect much love from a warmongering race of females, but she had tried valiantly growing up until she had been old enough to realize that she could not win their respect or affection. Valkyrie were deadly and the rare Arch Furiae was a female embodiment of wrath, with raven colored wings and vivid violet colored eyes. They were said to hunt down men who had broken oaths, committed evil crimes, and/or had escaped persecution from said evil crimes. They also rarely left their nests. Hence The Accord, the alliance between the Valkyrie and Furiae. Which meant they tended to intermingle, much to many Loareans displeasure, since Furie, the Valkyrie Queen and half Furiae, and Alecta the Unyeilding, Queen of the Furiae, were related as well. Dahlia was pretty sure that even if she hadn't been born half Vampire her mother would still be incapable of love.

So it shouldn't have come as a surprise that, upon reaching her immortality (or so close to it that she no longer cared to suffer abuse), she packed a bag with essentials (nail polish included), said good-bye to a couple of males who had no idea she was anything other than Arch Furiae, and had flown the coup. Literally.

Her mothers response. Coldly mock her. _"You'll find no love away from us."_

Dahlia response. A gracefully extended finger defiantly proclaiming her freedom. _I found no love among you._ And that was what she wanted. Love. Affection. A pat on the back saying: "Good job, Dahlia, you trained so hard to impress us and we are impressed". She wanted the freedom to walk among her Aunts without worrying that she would be ignored or even attacked_. _

Not that she had much freedom now, she thought with a sigh. She had no one to talk to about the Lore and she constantly needed to hide what she was. Hide her pale gray wings and her pointed ears. Hide her need to feed on blood. Rachel had been one of the few humans who hadn't immediately been repulsed by her two toned eyes, one silver gray and one violet, and the instinct that something wasn't quite right about Dahlia.

In fact, the tiny dancing string bean, as Dahlia had taken to calling her, was currently swaying her way through the crowd with two drinks in hand. She was the only reason that Dahlia was currently in a bar. Or even still in this area. _I really ought to move on before I start attracting_ _attention_, she thought, tapping her petite claws on the table. The human, though sweet, didn't have many friends. Which seemed odd since by human standards Rachel was very pretty. But women tended to be nasty to more beautiful ones-intimidated by what they lacked. And unfortunately, Dahlia liked the human, maybe more so because she had been abandoned by her friends.

To quote Game of Thrones: she had soft spot for bastards, cripples, and broken things.

Rachel gave a blindingly white smile. "These are compliments of those nice men in black at the bar." Rachel swung her head back towards the bar just as the three darkly dressed men nodded. Dahlia's eyebrows shot up and then she schooled her face, _You mean creepers at the bar?_

Dahlia sniffed it in exaggerated show and stared up at Rachel with narrowed eyes. Then she stuck out her tongue, light glinting off the silver barbell, with a wink. "Just what I wanted-A Roofie Coolada!" Rachel rolled her eyes in response.

"Ooooof course!" She replied in a soprano voice. "I know it's your favorite. Extra roofie." She winked right back and leaned up against the high round table. There were plenty of chairs but Rachel enjoyed the feeling of men staring at her behind. Dahlia had learned that the human loved attention. Another one of the reasons her previous friends had abandoned her. _Such fickle creatures._

"After this we should go. The next train leaves in 30 minutes. I don't wanna miss it and get stuck here with the Men In Black who enjoy serving us Roofielatta's." Dahlia forced a smile and twisted the end of her coffee colored braid, realizing that one of the men was staring intently in their direction. She glared, trying to disguise her sudden worry that her thick waves, which she had braided loosely, to cover her pointed ears, were no longer in place. Or that the small amount of power she used to hide her wings had finally attracted the wrong kind of attention.

_Don't let them see you sweat. They'll know you're suspicious_. Dahlia chugged the drink, a rum and coke, and made a show of swaying in her chair in time to the music. _So normal._ _Any 23 year old would look this way in the bar, _she reasoned. Rachel swayed in time with Dahlia, nodding at her statement.

"This place is kinda lame tonight. The sexiest guys in the room are one of those slightly creepy MIB over there and that sexy man wearing a hat in the corner." Rachel purred at said sexy man. Dahlia craned her neck around to peer back at where Rachel's eyes had landed. At her first sniff she realized that he was Lore. But what?

His bright blue eyes met hers for a moment and he tipped his hat to her. She could swear she saw the glimmer of a silvery horn from beneath the hat. She couldn't control her head tilt of confusion. _A single demon of some sort? Don't they normally travel in gaggles?_ A female joined him and Dahlia realized he wasn't alone- just as Rachel must have come to the same conclusion, because the human gave a frustrated sigh.

"That guy was totally staring at you. I could have lived vicariously through your blossoming love." She swooned animatedly and then downed her drink like it was a shot. "Eck…So disappointed." She shook her head, the alcohol that had settled at the bottom of the drink making instantly regret her chug. She squeaked, "Lets head out."

Dahlia nodded and hopped down.

They weaved through the mostly intoxicated crowd till they reached the exit. Rachel gave a blinding smile to the bouncer as she pushed the door open. He openly eyed her chest, smiling back. Once the door outside slammed shut Rachel just laughed about his ogling. Then she shivered. Night outside had become cool for August. Dahlia took a deep breath of the night air and winced as she immediately longed for the clear sweet crisp air of New Zealand.

"Hot damn it got cold! Is it August or October?" Rachel took Dahlias hand and rubbed it for warmth, not that it would do anything, and started off in the direction of the transit station 6 blocks down. Every time the human held her hand or hugged her hello or good-bye Dahlia was shocked at her willingness to touch casually. It was the closest thing to normal affection Dahlia had ever had. And she was greedy for it, clasping her hand tightly with a small smile.

It was most likely a fact that Rachel would run screaming into the night if she saw what Dahlia really was. _At least I don't have to sleep with her for it_, Dahlia thought as a frown began to tug at her lips. She shook the thoughts from her head, determined to forget her previous life and deeds. By Nymph standards her actions had been fine.

It was 4 blocks down that Dahlia felt the first shiver of apprehension creep up her spine. _We're being followed. Or watched. Both, maybe…_ very faintly she could hear the footfalls of 2…no maybe 3, people. The mysterious MIB from the bar?

_Protect the human. Get Rachel to safety,_ her mind whispered. This was the first time she would have to defend herself away from the Coven, the first time she would use all she had learned from studying her Aunts and books. And Rachel couldn't see her true form, she though vehemently. That was imperative.

They were on a deserted street, all apartment buildings. They needed a crowd. Humans didn't tend to attack if there were others around to see them do so, right?

She snuggled up to Rachel, acting like the two of them were cuddling for warmth. "Rachel, I think we're being followed. Don't look!" She whispered fiercely as Rachel had slowly began to turn her head. "Two streets down there's a 24 hour Dunkin' Donuts right? We need to get there and call the cops."

Rachel nodded, clutching Dahlia's arm closer. Just as they sped up a man stepped out in front of them just a street ahead. Dahlia's hackles rose immediately. She felt a crackle of panic and then the slow boil of anger begin to bloom in her gut. Rachel had nearly stopped short and Dahlia could hear her human's heart begin to pound in panic. Dahlia moved them forward and at Rachel's horrified stare Dahlia set her mouth in a grim line and tried to convey that she was going to protect them.

_Please don't let my eyes start to change before I get her away._

"Don't come any closer. Just let go of the girl and we wont hurt her." Dahlia had a moment of confusion but kept stalking forward. She was sure the man meant let go of Rachel. Did he know that Rachel was human, whereas Dahlia was not? _Impossible. He smells human. _The man tensed as she stepped up to him and paused. There was something in his hand. _A Taser? _And his other meaty fist had settled on the firearm at his side.

Before he could raise it she shoved her palm upward into his chin, sending him backward with a startled cry. Behind her she heard the footfalls rush forward and a man curse under his breath.

Dahlia shoved Rachel ahead of her. "Run! Go where we agreed upon and call the cops!" She wouldn't let them know where Rachel was going. _What if they broke their promise of not harming Rachel? I would never forgive myself!_ When Rachel hesitated Dahlia shoved her again, hurried by the slowly recovering man she had just knocked on his ass. "Go! I distract them. You bring help back." And with that she turned just as a man came at her with a Taser. The shock of it didn't hurt so much as it stung her, the small amount of Valkyrie blood in her aiding her. _They don't know electricity doesn't hurt me. Bless Freya, they might not know exactly what I am. _An advantage she would use.

She heard Rachel's heavy foot falls as she took off toward the Dunkin. Pretending to be hurt by the Taser, she seized and shook, but what they thought were wildly flopping arms—and what they should have recognized as poor acting— were actually fists preparing to hit. And her deadly claws lengthened just at they connected with the Taser man's throat, slitting it from ear to jugular. With a strangled cry, the man fell back, spraying arterial blood. Wrath and blood shook her control, her instincts crying out for vengeance against these men who had cornered her. And she knew the exact moment that her true self, wings and all, were revealed just by the look in the next mans eyes.

The second man raised his gun, but stared in horrified fascination of her gray wings, the tips of the longest feathers stained a soft black, his finger frozen over the trigger. Her eyes, which had bled black until the only thing peeking through were the eerie rings of glowing silver and violet, stared defiantly at the man. _I've broken rule number 1: Don't reveal yourself to humans._

Then a gunshot sang out and she felt sting to the back of her neck and the burn of a bullet grazing her jaw. Then a second sounded and she felt it rip through sinew and feather. Disabling a wing. But the bullet to the back of the neck had done serious damage to her as she felt the pain radiate her skull and numbness consume her body. As she fell, she saw the first man being shakily helped up by 5 men dressed in SWAT-type gear with guns. The man who had shot her lowered his weapon and glared at the other man who had frozen.

"I told you that you were not to engage the monster until back-up got here!" The man barked angrily. The second man flinched, lowering his weapon.

Staring momentarily down at his now deceased comrade he muttered. "Trent thought it was going to escape. It had noticed that we were following both of them. We were afraid it'd use the human as a hostage."

Dahlia growled at the mention of her friend, wrath clouding her thoughts. _How dare they! I would never. _

"Where'd the girl go?" Head honcho, as she was going to now call the asshole that had shot her, asked, holstering his gun. Two men came forward, one with his gun trained on her and the other with a metal collar of some sort. They slipped it on her and she felt the cold of it pressed against her wound. Her fangs lengthened in aggression at the unpleasant sensation and the man paused, then with a new determination in his eyes, shoved a black bag over her head, blinding her.

She heard the Guy who Froze respond, "It was the strangest thing. It was like the monster was trying to protect the girl. It shoved her away after it hit Mike and told her to run somewhere. To call the cops. It didn't even kill Mike. Just stunned him. And it only killed Sergeant James when he used the Taser on it and the girl was out of sight." Pressure in her arm told her they were doing something. She still had limited feeling in her body, her wound slow to regenerate because she was so newly immortal and unfed, but a swimming sensation overwhelmed her.

An injection.

Her last thought as she lost consciousness was, _Damn that's some heavy duty tranquilizer. _

_**AN: I hope you guys like. I love to hear your thoughts and suggestions aka please review ^_^**_

_**8/22/13 – I made some changes to this chapter. Reviewer Vampirella made a good point that I didn't clearly distinguish between Valkyrie and Furiae, which was because I intended for Dahlia to be an arch furiae-valkyrie-vampire (which is quite the mouthful so I never actually called her that lol)- Woden and Freya enjoyed making valkyrie out of many Lore females. I know! I took many liberties with the Furiae since there isn't much Lore explained about them in Kresley Coles books so I apologize. But thank you for making me think, Vampirella. I love when people write reviews that point out I made a boo-boo. Hopefully you'll re-read this chapter and see my note ^_^**_


	2. Chpt 2: Thrown to the Wolf

_**Some Island, Shrouded in Mystery**_

She dimly became aware that she was being dragged roughly down what she could only presume was a hallway. Her lower body was in the pins and needles stage of regeneration, the dragging of her feet feeling nearly unbearable. She weakly kicked, trying to change the sensation only to make it feel worse.

"It's waking up. We need to just toss it in a cell for now until we can free one up."

_I really resent being called "it". My Aunts soooo loved to call me "it"._ She thought darkly. She tried to lift her head, to shake off the black bag still obscuring her, but movement wasn't forthcoming and the guards made a panicked sound. "Here, there's only one in this cell. Throw it in with the Lykae for now." She heard the hiss of something being released and the muffled roar of what she could only assume was "the Lykae".

_Anything but a Lykae_! She tried to talk, to deny them. To tell them that to be in that cage with an animal was her equivalent to hell. The little that she knew about Lykae were that they were filthy animals, according to her less than pleasant Aunts, and worshiped food, physical acts, and sex. But all that came out was a strangled string of nonsense sounds and she hissed as light flooded her sensitive vision. With the black bag gone she was staring into the eerily blue, rage filled eyes of a Lykae who was currently, and safely placed, on the other side of a thick clear wall. But in moments, she knew they planned to remove the glass and throw her, literally, to the Wolf.

The Lykae dropped slowly, fighting whatever chemical they had filled the cube with until he lay making frustrated sounds on the ground, his beast trying to resist until the very end, the seductive pull of sleep. When at last he laid his head of dark auburn hair on the ground, they opened the door, guns up and threw her in haphazardly.

Her weakened body unable to catch itself landed across the large Lykae, his huge frame cushioning her fall. She pushed up onto her shaky arms and rolled away from the beast, disgruntled and feeling fear slowly creep in with the sound of that heavy, thick door sliding shut. She put her back to the nearest wall, having trouble holding her head up straight, and stared horrified at the unconscious, very large and very close beast she was about to become well acquainted with.

_Shit, I'm about die._ She willed herself to regenerate but she knew that without fresh blood she would not heal quickly. If she didn't heal quickly the Lykae would most likely come to in beast mode and attempt to kill her. If he had any sanity left, and realized that she was part vampire, she most likely would suffer a very slow death instead.

She was well aware that her Aunts weren't the only ones that hated vampires.

She eyed the Lykae's arm laying limply, so close to her that she could touch it. To bite the Lykae, and risk him waking to find a strange half-vampire chowing down on him which would probably piss him off? Or risk him waking up and for some reason feeling less than murderous anyway? She was finding it unlikely that he would be feeling charitable and she would bet all the nail polish in the New Zealand Coven that he'd be in more of a kill first, ask questions later kinda mood.

She frowned. _But a Lykae? I bet he tastes_ disgusting, she thought.

_No time to contemplate. _

Her fangs shot longer in anticipation as she pulled his arm so that she could sink them into the delicate juncture of flesh at the elbow. Eyes on the Lykae's handsome face, she grazed his skin unsure of what to do since she had never taken directly from the source and felt the first drops of blood well to the surface. At the first touch of it to her tongue she groaned in relief. _It doesn't taste like ass. Good. _She could feel the first jump start of her body beginning to regenerate, the flesh at her neck slowly knitting together. Her injured wing began to heal the bullet hole and regenerate a few lost feathers.

And then slowly she felt the seductive call of his blood. The power in it. _Bless Freya, he is old and he is very strong._ Her eyes rolled, eyes going black except for the glowing iris' of violet and silver. Against her will her sex tightened in anticipation, the heat building, and her nipples slowly straining forward, pulling the little silver barbells through them taunt, heightening the sensation more. And she realized she was undulating her hips in time with each draw from him.

Dangerous. His blood was dangerous.

Dahlia knew she had to stop, but as she lapped the last drops from his arm she shuttered with pleasure. That one bite made her suspect blood and sex were intertwined for Vampires. Though it was strange that blood had never made her respond as such. And she felt invigorated. Not a good sign. _I'm more of a leech then I thought..., _she inwardly berated herself for feeling so much loss from having to pull away.

Survival indicated, though, that she needed to stop the self depreciation and secure a defensive position to watch the Lykae's reaction.

Which she noted, with a frown, would be soon.

_Too damn old and too damn strong._

She suddenly regretted the knowledge.

Dahlia huddled in a corner, and with the small amount of magic she had left she attempted to diminish her scent. To make him less aware of her very presence. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, checking for lingering signs of her guilty act. _No blood on the mouth. Maybe he won't even notice…._

The Lykae twitched and then his eyes, those eerily blue beast eyes, fought their way open. The growl that reverberated through the cell made her gulp.

_I'm totally fucked._

* * *

Nix was tickling Bertil under his fuzzy little bat chin when her amber eyes got that far away look. Her bowl of bat food forgotten in her lap, a spork full of the food balanced precariously on the side of the bowl. "Oh my. Well that won't do." She turned those absent eyes on the nearest Valkyrie, which happened to be Regin the Radiant, fresh from a joy ride with Declan the Fierce. The glowing Valkyrie faltered.

"Nix? You feelin' a little cray cray today? You wanna go play Buffy and slay some vampires?" The vampire who had just walked through the door, Myst the Coveted on his arm, paused, raising a dark eyebrow. "Not you. Red eyed ones. Go fornicate on the lawn or something." Regin made a dismissive hand motion that made Nikolai frown.

"I believe you are one to talk." And with that he continued out of the room. He was only stopped by a sudden spork imbedded in the door frame. All eyes returned to Nix who gave a lopsided smile.

"Ah ah." Nix tut'ed. "I'll need you vampire. Tracing and all. Regin, be a dear and bring me that beef-cake of a berserker you call honey-boo-boo. I'm going to need some coordinates." Nix gave a look that was both vacant and intent at the same time. She had been doing that a lot lately.

Regin frowned again. "Nix?"

"I never could sit and watch one of our young suffer so. Declan will have to direct us to one of the remaining labs. It seems our young niece has been caught."

"Emma? Or Holly?" Regin asked.

Nix only smiled. "My dear, I seem to have lost my spork and Bertie is still hungry."

Regin growled. "Nix! Emma or Holly?"

"Dahlia, silly."

Regin and Myst tilted their heads in unified confusion. They didn't know of a niece named Dahlia.

* * *

**Sorry, this one is super short. I wanted to thank reviewer Bethany for her review. Hopefully you pieced together after this chapter that this takes place after the facility run by Declan aka the Magister has been destroyed. But in that book he mentions that there are other islands similar to his, though he admitted to being more anal-retentive about security verses other facilities. I wanted to work with that. Plus, I just read the latest book, MacRieve, and I got a couple ideas from it for where I want this story to go. Hopefully you all like it!**


	3. Chpt 3: Those Who Lay with Wolves

**Warning: This chapter is M for Mature. Read at your own risk. **

**Chapter 3**

Dahlia looked down at her claws then eyed his claws. She then frowned wishing her dainty blue painted ones were larger and sharper. And that she hadn't decorated them with zebra stripes. _Must think_ _predator!_ His were much larger in comparison.

The Lykae seemed to be struggling to come to, his beast hovering over his form aggressively, nearly obscuring the man beneath. His eyes blinked a few times, then he inhaled deeply before sneezing. She had a sinking feeling that his sneeze had either been a response to her magic or to the fumes which had knocked him out.

_He may or may not have scented me already. Shit. Think, Dahlia, think. _He propped himself on unsteady, muscled arms and shook himself. _Like a Dog,_ normally this would have amused her but the threat he posed was too great to even entertain humor_._ The beast never wavered. His eyes never changed. He never said anything or even groaned. The only sounds that came from him were growls.

She had no experience with Lykae. She'd known Demons, Incubi, Nymphs, Witches, Valkyrie, Furiae, and Berserkers, but she had never met a Lykae. Ever. She'd heard stories about them and was, however, fairly sure that his apparent lack of returning to "human" was definitely trouble.

_I can't even hope to use feminine wiles upon him if he doesn't come out of Beast Mode,_ she thought looking down at what remained of her outfit.

She had been dressed for bar hopping with Rachel, so she know she was "sexy" at least by Rachel's and human male standards. Her mini dress was navy blue with thin pale gray, white and black crisscrossing stripes, creating an almost plaid effect. A large black belt cinched her tiny waist and the neckline dipped in a sweetheart shape between the cap sleeves to show off her ample breasts. The only sensible thing she had dressed with were her Doc Martin looking gray ankle boots that folded over.

She was fairly sure there was probably some blood on the dress but hoped that her thin black leather jacket had taken most of the liquid damage. God knows it had taken the damage from her wings materializing. _I really liked this outfit too._

Dahlia was still in her mental musings when the Lykae took a deep sniff of the air and let out a roar.

_Mine!,_ the instinct roared in his head. The beast responded for the male. Howling with delight. But the happiness the male should have felt was hindered by the Madness and the male stayed dormant, his mind too damaged to try to come forward, even for his mate. The beast growled angrily at the male and swung his head at the faintest sound of boot scuffing floor ever so lightly.

Those eerie blue eyes locked on the beautiful female crouched against the wall, her tiny claws fisting as panic, then defiant anger, began to fill her two-toned eyes. _She is scared. Of me? Her male?_ Wings behind her distracted him and the beast growled, unsure of what his mate was. _She is other_.

When those eerie blue eyes locked on her she nearly hissed at the look he gave her. It was half aggression and half possession. He wanted her, but the wolf facade that hovered over this visage, obscuring most of the handsome man beneath, was warily regarding her. Desire couldn't be right, though, she rationalized. _I'd have to be his mate or whatever. Unless, he's just been so long without a female that he just wants anything with a pair of tits. _She looked down at her chest and looked back at him wondering if Lykae could suffer from sex deprivation.

Either way, she wasn't sure which she was more afraid of.

The Instinct cried for him to have her. To hold her. Take her. Mark her. Unsteady on his feet, he lurched toward her, his large clawed hands making a grab for her. She leapt away, his claws sifting through a handful of her soft feathers, and he made a frustrated sound.

Dahlia had a moment of absolute clarity, where she realized that she was still weakened for some reason and may not have the speed to evade the Lykae once he regained full motor functioning.

She landed on top of the tattered bunk bed, teetering precariously on the damaged metal frame. The Lykae had clearly had a temper tantrum one too many times with this bed. She held up her palms in a placating gesture. "Hey there big boy. Maybe some deep breaths and rational thinking would work well here. I think we could be friends if you would just…." She leapt once more to the other side of the enclosure as the towering Lykae hit the bed frame with his whole body. The bed teetered and then with a series of clangs, lost a main post and one of the top railings. Dahlia huffed, blowing strands of her coffee colored hair out of her eyes in exasperation. "…If you'd let me continue. We could be friends if you'd stop trying to grab me." She yelped, barely missing the outstretched claw. Unfortunately, with his regained speed his other claw shot out, even as he was skidding into the glass wall, and caught her ankle.

With a cry, she lost momentum and slammed to the ground, her chin hitting the metal floor for more force than the wished. Dazed, she lay with her head turned toward the destroyed bed, panting and, he suspected, planning her next move. He hadn't understood much of what she had said, language being somewhat unfamiliar to him after so long and the males brain damaged, but the Beast felt a wash of triumph fill his chest. The female had been quick, making him work for her, which pleased him greatly. His fist tightened around her ankle before he dragged her forcefully closer to him with a growl, feeling sorry for letting her hit the ground so hard but determined to have her. The Beast would make it up to her, after he had taken her. The female looked stunned for a moment, her eyes darting around.

Dahlia was looking for a weapon. She contemplated the metal bar that had fallen from the bed. Then her eyes landed on the male in the next cell over with his handsome face pressed to the glass, watching her struggle. He tilted his head at her, gray blue eyes flashing with empathy at her situation. It made her angry to be reminded that someone else could see this beast manhandling her.

She was jolted by the feeling of the Lykae's face sniffing up her leg. His big warm palm slid up until it pushed the fabric of her mini dress up passed her ass, exposing her dark blue, laced panties, which covered only slightly more than a thong would have. He made a pleased noise, squeezing her backside.

The Beast had already been aroused by the chase but his erection throbbed when he revealed the tiny underclothes his female wore. _Take her_, the Instinct cried. She renewed her struggle, trying to twist onto her back. One large wing caught his chin and sent him back into the wall. He was surprised briefly and then the Beast was proud of his females strength, though aggravated that he wasn't already buried deep within her. She continued to fight him.

Dahlia took that advantage and jumped to the metal bar that had come off the bed. When she turned, he was already up and growling. His towering frame, which was noticeable now that he wasn't crouched, filled the small space, his beast making him that much bigger. Unable to help herself she followed the long ling from his broad muscled shoulders, down to his tapered waist, until her eyes settled on the very intimidating erection that was straining against the front of this tattered pants. In another scenario, one where he wasn't absolutely insane, she would have found him handsome and his erection flattering. In the past she would have taken affection where she could get it.

She frowned, _I have some serious issues to face when this is over._

"And I thought demons were huge. You do know that you'll break me if you try to force yourself on me, right?" She pointed to the metal down at his crotch. He stared at her, uncomprehending. She shook her hand in a no motion with her index finger extended, like she was scolding a naughty child. She pointed at his crotch and then made the same hand motion, making an exaggerated face as she mouthed the word no and shook her head. She made an 'x' with her arms across her body. "Off limits, dude. I know it's probably been a while for you but I'm good. No sexy time for you."

She heard their neighbor chuckle and she snapped her head to the side to glare at him. "This isn't funny, buddy. I'm about to get torn a new one, literally, by this Crazed-Lykae-Man-Beast." He held up his hands.

"Sorry, I know. Not funny. " Then he pointed, eyes going wide, and her attention returned to the CLMB (Crazed-Lykae-Man-Beast) that was now nearly on top of her. She stared up into his glowing eyes and gulped. He inhaled deeply, giving a pleased growl, and she got the feeling that he was enjoying her little struggle against him. Then one large clawed paw, grabbed her hip while the second palmed her breast. With an irritated gasp she hauled back and clocked him with the metal bar, which only resulted in a nasty looking cut on his temple and an irritated growl.

_Shit. Shit. Shit._

She was on her back a moment later, one clawed fist slicing down the front of her dress so that her tightly wrapped breasts sprung free. Dahlia hissed in surprise. When his glowing eyes locked on the glittering barbells that pierced her nipples, they stayed mesmerized by them and she suddenly shivered as his eyes devoured her, making her nipples pucker. Then she felt angry again. Angry that she seemed to be getting aroused by this manhandling.

The Instinct in him screamed for him to claim her, but the Beast was fascinated with the jewelry pierced through her dusky pink nipples. Before his eyes they began to harden, which pleased him even more. He had scented that the female was beginning to get aroused which had made him even harder. For a brief moment, the male, not the Beast, stirred in his mind, roused by the strength of the Beasts intent.

Wiggling herself so that she was able to get her legs up between her body and that of the Lykae's, she smiled. He tilted his head slowly, his eyes still wholly on her breasts seemingly unsure of what the piercings were for. She took advantage of his distraction and kicked out with both feet.

The Lykae had a moment of looking shocked before he hit the wall. The resulting roar made her wince as she scrambled to get her back against the opposite wall. The Lykae stalked toward her with such speed she almost ended up back on her back. At the last moment she darted out from his claws and twisted her body just in time to connect her backhand with his jaw, putting all her strength and momentum into the hit.

_Please let a miracle happen and I knocked the fucker out cold. _She gaped as the Lykae, who had flown head first into the wall, merely shook himself with a growl. "God dammit! Just go back to sleep or something. I don't want to have sex with you right now!" She screamed at him. The light above them flickered at her anger. For the first time her emotion had seemed to charge the air and she froze, eyes staring up at the light, willing it to flicker again.

Too quickly she was once again on her back, the wind having been knocked out of her, with the Lykae pinning her hips to the ground. The intent was clear in his glowing blue eyes. Claws tore her panties from her in one motion and the hot mouth of the Lykae descended on her womanly heat, suckling and licking like a starved animal.

At the first taste of her the Beast growled with pleasure, sucking her sensitive female nub into his wanting mouth. His female was so soft between her legs, nearly hairless, and tasted like pure heaven. The Beast wanted nothing more than to please her, to reward her for the struggle that had aroused him so. He responded eagerly to her strength, knowing she was a strong mate. And the male again seemed to stir, finally being pulled back by the taste of his females growing arousal. He lapped at her honey, teasing his tongue at her opening.

And she lay there, panting, staring up that the light feeling defeated. Clearly she wasn't going to beat him in a fist fight and against her will she was enjoying his ministrations. She could feel the ferocity of his mouth, sensed his hunger to please her in his own way, and a new feeling began to take hold of her. She was aroused. By him.

_There is seriously something wrong with me. I have way too many emotional issues already to add, 'enjoys being roughed up before sex with insane strangers' to my list of quirks. _She mused, feeling her arousal growing against his desperate mouth, her body seeming to grow more pliant. She was soon rocking her hips in time with his mouth, increasing the friction against her swollen clit.

The beast was pleased. The female had begun to go soft at his ministrations and she undulated her hips, bringing a dainty clawed hand down to fist a hank of his hair. The sensation of pushing his face down, working herself greedily against him, made him grind his erection against the floor as he growled against her sex. He could feel she was close, her soft noises of pleasure growing. He took hold of her thighs to spread her legs even further, his mouth sucking on her sensitive clitoris once more and was rewarded with an arched back and sharp cries of female delight.

As he rolled those blue eyes up at her, clearly pleased with himself, she thought, _but I don't even know his name_, before she threw back her head. As the first wave of orgasm rolled through her every nerve ending she screamed, tugging his hair sharply and digging her heels sharply into his back, which seemed to please him more.

Dahlia lay dazed as the Lykae ripped his pants free and his massive erection bounced forth. The swollen crown glistened with the first drops of precum and it strained toward her, bobbing. It was so large and so hard, curving upward ever so slightly. _He was built to please a woman,_ she mused. She was entranced, wondering fleetingly if she would even be able to handle all of that. She was no simpering virgin, but she was by no means at the point of "lady-of-the-night" status where she could take any shape and size with ease.

He seemed to enjoy her stare, making a please huffing sound.

And then the Lykae attempted to turn her onto all fours and she growled, eyes going black with anger so that only glowing irises burned through. Her fisted hand was still firmly in his hair and she pulled harder the more he tried to turn her. "Oh no you don't. You wanna fuck me then you better get used to staring at this ugly mug while you do it. I will not be taken like an animal." She hissed at him, fangs bared.

He responded with a growl of his own, his head pulling back as if he'd simply be able to get her to let go. But she held firm, pulling him back with a growl. "You wanna play dirty, I'll give you dirty." She growled and her other hand shot down to grasp his swollen cock. The noise he made shocked her. It was a masculine sound, something like a whimper, then a purred groan.

Finally something that sounded human.

She grinned evilly. "You like that?" She gave it a tentative stroke, watching the beast start to fade somewhat, so that the desire-ridden face of the man hidden below it could be seen. His jaw was slack with need, eyes rolled back in his head, as he bucked his erection into her fist. It was velvet covered steal, so soft and hot. With the first few passes over the thick head he seemed to quiver, rolling eyes seeming to disbelieve the pleasure of her hand. Swirling her thumb in the slick precum she used it to help moisten his erection, her fist beginning to move faster, incensed by his passionate reaction. "I'll make you come before you even get a chance to be inside me." She switched her hands, her dominant one now pumping and the previous hand returning to his hair. She tugged his hair, pulling his up so that she could pump her fist more easily on his cock, and noted that it pulsed hard in her hand as she did so. _He might be as fucked up as me, if he enjoys being roughed up a little too. _

The Beast was dazed by his females passion. Her soft palm stroked him and the strength of her maneuvering him into a better position made him groan and his erection twitch with excitement. He had to fight not to release into the soft warm fist milking him deliciously, scenting her arousal growing once more. She had begun make breathy panting sounds, mirroring his own helpless aroused noises, her eyes glowing with pleasure. Once again he was struck by her other-ness. She was delicately built but deceptively strong, and her eyes were obsidian in her passion but she had her angelic wings. She was so foreign and pleasing to him. The Instinct had demanded he claim her and the Beast eagerly agreed, pleased with his destined mate, regardless of what she was.

She was his.

His bucking got stronger and his pleasured whimpers got louder. Startled, Dahlia noticed that she was making her own breathy whimpering sounds, her hips thrusting in time with his. She knew that she should be disgusted- mostly with herself for feeling so helplessly drawn to him. For liking the noises he was making. He was getting close and, surprisingly to her, so was she. His clawed hand slipped between her folds and he jerked, half-lidded glowing eyes stared down as if awed at the moist fingers he pulled away.

The Beast wanted nothing more than to thrust into her. To let himself come and mark her. She let her one leg fall to the side, seeming to encourage him to use his hands on her, lost in her own excitement. And he groaned to see her open before him, that glistening pink flesh weeping for him, her folds parted with arousal. The Instinct demanded he be inside her, to bury his length within that glistening flesh, and he could no longer resist its call. He slid his hand up her thigh, holding it away, deciding he would wait no longer. The male was so close to the surface, finally aroused by his female and the Beast responded to the needs of the Instinct and to the normally dormant male.

Before she realized what he was doing he had pushed her fist away and plunged the hot thick length of his shaft into her. Dahlias protest died as she came, screaming in orgasm once more at the feeling of his pulsing shaft within her, thrusting now with aggressive purpose as he panted over her. Sex before couldn't compare. She had never been taken so roughly, always having sex with men who were afraid to hurt her since she hadn't reached immortality yet. But this Lykae taking her. Branding her with his aggression and she liked it. She had begun to sense a change in him, the Beasts face flickering every so often now so that she could glimpse the handsome man below it. Seeing the male had only begun to fuel her arousal, imagining that face staying constant. Envisioning a deep male voice saying dirty things to her.

Freya help her, she was lost for this strange male.

"So tight. So verra tight. Mine." Came the rough, accented groan. Her eyes widened in shock and for a moment the man was clear— handsome chiseled features, full lips framed by adorable dimples, auburn hair streaked with golden brown, and heavy lidded golden eyes flecked with green staring down at her with such desire it took her breath away. A fantasy come true. And as quickly as he had appeared then he was gone, the beast replacing his features, as he roared. She felt the first pump of hot release burst within her, filling her. Scorching her. His head fell to her neck and his hot mouth tasted her, his tongue dipping in her collar bone. Then she felt his bite, at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. The feeling of it thrilled her, made her clench around him again in an orgasm so strong she nearly shrieked, claws dragging down his chest, hearing his sexy voice again in her mind.

As she lay there panting, his hips still thrusting his semi-hard erection into her slowly, she wondered to herself what the hell had just happened. The Lykae made a pleased sound, nuzzling her neck where his fangs had dug into her flesh.

"I'm one fucked up cookie." She sighed.

**AN: Lemons! It's been a while since I wrote some smut but I hope it was enjoyable. Teehee. I wonder if anyone will guess who this handsome, insane Lykae is? I'll give you a hint: It's ****not**** Uilliem because clearly this is another facility. Bwahahahaha!**


	4. Chpt 4: Peeping Phan-Tom

**Chapter 4**

"That you are, love." Came their neighboring inmates voice, thick with arousal. She turned her head and looked into his heavily lidded smokey eyes staring intently at her from the other side of the glass wall. She made a deadpan face.

"You watched that all? You're a peeping….." She gestured for him to add what he was as best she could. It was rather difficult as the satisfied Lykae was now curling up and forcibly tucking her against him. She snapped at him as he continued to adjust her. "Hey, dude! You ever think maybe I want to be the big spoon, Mr. Alpha?" The Lykae merely made a sound that was suspiciously close to a dismissive grunt, nuzzling her neck, and seemed to doze, content. Dahlia frowned, trying to pull her dress closed, suddenly struck with a bout of modesty.

The man chuckled, adjusting himself. "Peeping Phan-Tom? But you can call me Collin." He gave a slow sexy grin. He made a nod toward the Lykae. "If that's what you do to strangers I can't wait to find out what you'll do to me knowing my name." He gave a suggestive eyebrow wiggle.

She glared, attempting to wiggle out of the naked Lykae's embrace. He growled, cracking his blue eyes open, and tightened his hold on her. She felt his fangs graze her neck and had a feeling that it was meant to subdue her, though she was no wolf. With a huff she stilled, bidding her time. He'd sleep….eventually. "Nice to meet you? Well, not entirely. These are rather unfortunate circumstances here. But I'm Dahlia."

"Dahlia." He seemed to roll that around. He had a very slight accent, but she couldn't quite place it. He was wearing slacks and a tailored button up that could have come straight from the 50's. He gave a slow swipe of his palm over his mouth and she had the feeling he was reigning in his arousal. "Well Dahlia. The pleasure is all mine." Then he seemed to rethink his words and he chuckled. "Well, not all mine but I did enjoy a good portion of that performance. I just wish you had been thrown in my cell. I'll give you all the blood you want for a handy-jay. And you don't even want to know what I'd do at this point to get laid." He gave her a very playful expression and she couldn't help but to smile back. She rather liked his perverted sense of humor.

It was preferable to manhandling and grunting. Not that she had complained so much at the end of that 'performance'.

Then she remembered what little facts she knew of phantoms. "So, wait. If you're a phantom, why don't you just go all Kasper the Friendly Ghost and float through the wall? "

He frowned and took a seat, cross-legged at the walls edge. He stared at her before he shifted his collar to reveal a metal torque similar to the one on her neck. "These lovely pieces of jewelry- how do I put it?- zap our powers? I could no more float through that wall than you could fight at full power or that Lykae could…well, actually, that Lykae is a bad example. The other Lykae down the hall can't even reach beast state with those torques on. They complain about it endlessly." The phantom, Collin, rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You have the pleasure of getting to room with the abnormal Lykae that got dropped off here by Horde vampires—that certainly flabbergasted the humans, or so I heard. Heard he was beastly then, but he had bouts of human-ness every so often. The demon that used to share this cell with me, Halgus, was here when Crazy was put there. Said that every so often he's sit on the bed, hold his head in his hands, and mutter about his family or something. Revenge, Horde, etc. etc. All that dark stuff. " He seemed to enjoy talking. Dahlia got the feeling that he didn't have frequent conversations with the Crazed-Lykae-Man-Beast currently breathing down her neck.

"So this Lykae is, like, permanently insane or something? I've never even met a Lykae before so this is all new info." She whispered, horrified. She was trapped in a room with a beast that would stay, well, beastly. She was definitely beginning to regret going all soft like play-doe under him.

Collin nodded. "That torque is probably the only thing that's actually protecting you. Else, I believe it's pretty typical for Lykae men who are in the clutches of the Beast to rut all night long. Or kill. But he seems to like you. Again...lucky you."

She made a face. Once was enough. As it was she was still looking for a way out of his embrace.

Her wings were getting cramped. Not to mention her neck was throbbing. Gods damned physical Lykae.

It was another hour, and a deeply asleep Lykae, later that she finally slipped from his grasp. Much to the amusement of Collin, who had continued to amuse her by regaling her with stories of the Crazed Lykae maiming a number of the guards before they finally stopped trying to move him from his cage. Or the time they had put a fully blooded Horde vampire in there. Which resulted in a blood-bath so horrific 90% of the humans in their little prison had tossed their cookies.

She had fought not to loose her own lunch at the thought of this Lykae turning on her because of her fangy habits and gave Collin a look of death before she settled against the glass in front of him. The cool material felt great against her skin and wings. From the other side of the glass she could feel the ever so slight vibrations of Collin settling with his back to the glass too.

They had a quiet few minutes, so she could gather her bearings. To mentally sigh at her situation once more. The only sound that interrupted the silence was the ever so slight whimpers of the Lykae, clearly caught in a dream or nightmare. His eyes darting behinds his lids. She sighed almost feeling bad, having a soft spot for angsty beings such as herself. "So how long you been in for?" She smiled over her shoulder at the back of his head. He looked up, deep in thought.

"What year is it now?" And she gaped at him before realizing he was serious.

"Uh, 2013?"

He was quiet, "About 60ish years then, give or take."

Dahlia went cold at the thought of being here for that long. She had just begun her immortality and she wanted to live it up. 60 years locked up with a deranged Lykae was pretty much her equivalent to Hell.

"The Demon that was in here with me, Halgus, had been here for 100 years before I got here. Said that back in the old days, this place was more Medieval Torture Dungeon-eque looking, and the humans had used witches to mystically reinforce all of the cages. You get the sterile, looks like a pharmaceutical lab, look. Once again…luck-."

She rolled her eyes, cutting him off, "Lucky me. I know. So they used Witches?" She asked, baffled and curious at the same time. Who would think witches would help the damned humans.

"Yup, and then threw them in their own cages. All of the cages had been reinforced with a no-magic and no-physical damage could be done to the metal. They should have known something was up when the humans asked for an 'all magic is nullified within the cages' spell as well." He shook his head, as if the witches were there to see his disproval.

"What happened to Halgus?" Dahlia wasn't sure she wanted to know.

The phantom sighed. "About 20 years ago they started with the weapons experiments. From what I gathered from the guards, this facility isn't really for research on Loreans biology as much as it is research for the weapons developed at the main facility to hurt, maim, or kill us. Yes, every so often, they send someone of great interest to the main facility to be studied. Doesn't happen often though. They took Halgus out one day, just your standard Storm Demon, and he never returned. "

He stared at the bunk beds, lost in thought. "I only know they send people away sometimes because they took me to that facility once, since Phantoms are fairly rare, and vivisected me," He whispered. She sucked in a shocked breath. "We're lucky not to be at that facility. They would have already cut you open there, torn your wings off to see if they would grow back. That facility is full of monstrous humans. Worse than any being in the Pravus." The silence that stretched between them was deafening.

Because Dahlia was horrified. She wanted to vomit. She barely knew this phantom but she didn't believe him, or any being, deserved to be dissected while still alive. The mere thought made her stomach roll.

"That's….horrible, Collin. We'll get out of here. They can't keep us forever." She tried to believe her own words. To lie to herself.

He turned then and his eyes were haunted.

* * *

Nix seemed to be humming in the back of the jet, smearing a tube of SPF 50 on her face. She was having a somewhat lucid moment it would seem. Though lucid for Nix was far from anyone's normal. Atop her head was the silliest floppy sun hat Regin had ever seen her wear. She had a matching blue one with huge sunglasses on the seat beside her. They hadn't heard any word from Nix since she had announced that Dahlia was in need of rescuing, much to the confusion of the Coven.

Dahlia, it seemed, was Nix's favorite niece. But every niece was Nix's favorite. She said the same thing about Emmaline and about Holly.

But as new favorite niece, there were gifts to be had, hence the floppy sun hat, SPF 100, and giant sunglasses. Nix had added cryptically, "She has very sensitive skin."

Declan was at the head of the plane with Regin, who was attempting to attach her iPod to the sound system on the jet. Which resulted in Declan frowning, demanding in a low tone why they needed a 'rescue rock remix' playlist to complete this mission. To which Regin responded with an aggravated pout and a well placed jab to his side. "Don't question my need to an epic life soundtrack!". Myst, Bowen, and Carrow were all in the cargo hold, waiting anxiously for Nix to tell them more about the situation.  
"Why exactly am I tae be here?" Bowen muttered. "And why send that bluidy vampire to come get me? Nix does know that cell phones and mirrors work well, does she no'?" Nikolai had appeared at Bowen and Mariketa's with little more words than, 'Nix sent for you'.

Carrow patted Bowen's large bicep in sympathy.

"I'm sure she was doing it to add dramatic flair. Nothing screams dramatic like a Vampire showing up in your living room. No offense Myst. I know he butters your bread."

Myst had a moment of looking confused before she got the implied message of what butters her bread meant. She smiled. "None taken. He certainly butters my bread…among other things. " She gave a wicked smile. Regin made a retching sound at the front and Myst responded with the finger.

"Lykae on Lykae action! Keeping it in the family!" Nix giggled in glee, eyes glowing manically. Bowen glared warily at the insane Valkyrie.

"An' what does that mean, Valkyrie?" His steady gaze was on her.

Carrow gave his arm a light slap and a look of warning. It wasn't wise to aggravate Nix. She was on unsteady ground as it was. "I'm sure she's having a vision as we speak. Right, Nixie?"

Nix didn't respond, her eyes far away as she braided, unbraided, and re-braided her hair. Then she narrowed her eyes. When she finally spoke everyone in the cargo hold leaned forward in anticipation.

"Changed fate, eh? Impossible possible. Riora would find this so amusing…smug bitch." Then Nix shook her fist at the unseen sky. "Yea! I'm talking to you." And then she grinned, eyes flashing silver for a moment. "Who wants lotion?"

Everyone groaned. They had learned very little about their destination, or the niece in need of rescue.

* * *

Dahlia woke with a jolt, shaking off her strange dream of a forest full of wolves. Mist had rolled through the trees giving it an ethereal quality as rainbows had reflected off sheen and she had a sense of love and pride for the huge family around her. A pack. It had seemed so real she could feel the sun filtering down through the trees onto her face, warming her. It had been so strange, yet so warm. So inviting. She almost caught herself missing the foreign feeling.

She lolled her head against the wall, eyes staring up into the hideous florescent lights before she realized the Lykae was now curled around her as best he could since she was still against the wall. He had somehow moved while she was asleep and had curled around her on his side, as if protectively. Unconscious, the beast was but a flickering phantom over him now and she took the time to study his handsome face. "Where those your feelings, Man-Beast?" She whispered and sifted her claws through his thick auburn hair.

Then just as quickly she snatched her hand back, frowning with her eyes flicking black. "What is wrong with me?!" _I get one nice memory-esque dream and I forget I'm trapped with an insane Lykae who likes to fuck and bite?_

"Did you dream his memories?" She heard Collin behind her. He was laying flat on the ground, a pathetic looking pillow crushed beneath his head, eyes closed. "I've heard some vampires can do that"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. It definitely wasn't something my mind would be able to make up. " She sighed again. Screams came from down the hall and the lights dimmed for a moment. Collin seemed to sigh.

"They're testing something." He mumbled, he opened his eyes and they were far away. Dahlia alternated between horror and anger as she looked from him to stare at the far wall. Minutes later they dragged a bloody, unconscious Demon past them. He freely streamed blood from all his orifices—even his closed eyes wept blood. Dahlia stared wide-eyed as the humans dragged him down the hall.

Upon seeing her one of the guards trailing them faltered. He flagged down someone out of sight and another guard joined him. "What did you think you were doing? Putting the new one in there with **That **Lykae." He hissed in a low whisper. _Like I couldn't hear you, stupid. _

The Guard #2 seemed to study her hard, then study the Lykae curled around her, before tilting his head in confusion, lost in thought "To be honest, I'm not sure." He paused, "Well, she _was_ waking up. And we don't know what species she is yet so I figured we would be safe."

"Word of advice, new guy, don't call 'it' a she. Makes a hell of a difference when we're testing things. And we should schedule it for blood work then." Guard #1 flagged down a while coat, still covered in Demon blood. The man was balding and had bulbous nose. His eye seemed to twitch as the guard waved for him to come over and when he stood before the pair he had a haughty demeanor.

_Someone thinks guards are hapless peons and couldn't give two shits about what they want,_ Dahlia mused.

"New monster needs blood work so we can figure out what species it is." Guard #1 gestured to her. She glared and gave them the finger. Scientist-type man frowned and then his eyes settled lower and he got a strange look to his eyes. She followed to where his eyes had landed and realized that he was staring intently at her exposed breasts. Dahlia responded with a growl and snapped her legs tighter together and pulled them up against her chest, obscuring his view of any dirty bits on her. _So Nah!_

"My eyes are up here, Douche Bag." She snapped her fingers at face level.

Unfazed, the scientist merely studied her more with narrowed eyes. "We have an opening in the schedule in an hour. Prep the creature for transport to the lab. And I want it fully sedated. We don't want any incidents." He turned on heel and waddled down the hallway. The guards frowned.

"What's got his labcoat in a twist?" Guard #2 asked.

Guard #1 merely sighed. "He's just all antsy because we've had no communication with the main facility for over a month now and there's been a rumor that it was overtaken by the monsters." He scratched his chin. "I find it hard to believe because the Magister over there is a real hard ass. You think we've got good security here, you should see his…" He whistled low, as one would do if impressed.

Out of view, he signaled to someone.

Overhead there was a hiss, and Dahlia looked up in dread to see a nearly invisible cloud of…something…seeping in from the vents in the ceiling. Next door, Collin was sitting up now, angry. His eyes going a smokey gray blue, like an old photograph, he put a hand on the glass behind her, as if he would hold her up. She met his eyes and tried not to show fear.

It was just blood work…right.

The Lykae twitched at her feet and then bolted up with a roar, finally smelling the gas. He ran his shoulder into the glass in front of the guards and then began to pace. It wasn't long into the pacing that he started to lose steam. Those glowing blue eyes met hers as she lolled against the glass, fighting the feeling of sleep, and he reached for her, going to one knew. Then the other.

The Beast needed to protect his female. The instinct was overwhelming. Before the female, there had been nothing. Just anger. Now there was her, so small and delicate looking—_with a wicked backhand_, the thought arose from deep down. She was huddled against the wall, and then his eyes were drawn to a male behind her on the other side of the barrier, the male's hands pressed against the glass behind her, and he growled. _Mine!_

But the need to sleep was pervasive and his body began to go numb.

The Lykae dropped with a frustrated roar.

She wasn't far behind him.

**AN: Thank you to everyone who reviewed so far. I'm starting school again soon so I'm going to try to keep my updates steady. Next chapter will definitely get us out of this damn facility…or will it? Bwahahaha. Anyhoo, some specifics….**

**HeartShapedCandy – this male has been missing since book one and is presumed dead…bwahaha! I hope that doesn't give it away.**

**Vampirella – Thank you for making me think. I revised the first few chapters in an effort to pretty much "cover my ass" aka I had taken a few too many liberties and you checked me. Haha but I very much appreciate that you made me think. And I certainly hope that my main character starts to grow on you.**


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